When a chip or other hardware reaches a high temperature, it may operate erroneously, so that long-term reliability thereof decreases. Accordingly, computer systems are provided with various measures against the heat generation of hardware. For example, there are used methods for releasing heat generated by chips, such as providing a heatsink on a chip or providing a fan around a chip.
Meanwhile, computer applications are becoming more complicated, requiring high-speed processing systems. Particularly, a real-time application requires a processing speed of thousands of megabits per second. Such demands have enhanced the performance of hardware including microprocessors. Such hardware, however, generates greater heat to exhibit higher performance, so that heatsinks or fans may not handle the heat in some cases.
In such cases, the temperature inside the devices rises, which may cause some trouble such as malfunctions, hang-ups or abnormal termination of systems. Each time such trouble occurs, the user must restart the system or make other operation for system return. Such trouble may damage the reputation of products, particularly that of devices of which continuous use is required to satisfy the users, such as game devices.